WAFCON 2026: Why Nigeria finished 2nd and Zambia were knocked out despite defeating Malawi

Nigeria’s Super Falcons qualified for the group stage of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON 2026) after a resounding 6-2 thrashing of Egypt on Wednesday, Afrik-Foot reports.

​Going into the game, the Super Falcons were in a precarious situation, and only a win could guarantee their progression, depending on the outcome of the match between Malawi and Zambia. In fact, all the teams in Group C needed results to go their way in both fixtures.

​As ten-time African champions, Nigeria’s quality ultimately shone through. Coach Madugu’s side produced a brilliant display, with goals from Asisat Oshoala, Gift Monday, Rasheedat Ajibade, Uchenna Kanu, Joy Omewa, and Christy Ucheibe.

🎥 HIGHLIGHTS: 🇪🇬 2-6 🇳🇬

Six goals see Nigeria cruise past Egypt.#TotalEnergiesWAFCON2026 pic.twitter.com/3t1ahWuk7S

— CAF Women Football (@CAFwomen) August 6, 2026

​Meanwhile, the other encounter between Malawi and Zambia ended 2-1 in favor of the latter, meaning all three teams finished level on six points.

​Interestingly, it was Malawi — despite losing their final match — who qualified as group leaders, while Nigeria finished second. Crucially, Zambia boasted the highest goal difference in the group yet still failed to advance.

​This article explains how Malawi finished first and Nigeria secured second place in the group.

​Explainer: How Malawi and Nigeria Qualified for WAFCON 2026 Despite Zambia’s Superior Goal Difference

​Heading into WAFCON 2026, CAF’s tie-breaking rules stipulated that head-to-head records took precedence over overall goal difference.

​Nigeria, Malawi, and Zambia all finished the group stage on six points. The Copper Queens held the highest overall goal difference at +6 (bolstered by an emphatic victory against Egypt in their first game), while Nigeria recorded +4 and Malawi +2. However, these figures ultimately took a back seat.

​To untangle the three-way tie involving Nigeria, Malawi, and Zambia, CAF’s tournament rules stipulated the formation of a three-team mini-league consisting only the results between the tied teams, discarding their matches against Egypt.

​The Mini-League Results:

• ​Zambia 0–1 Nigeria
• ​Malawi 3–2 Nigeria
• ​Malawi 1–2 Zambia

​When the mini-league standings were analyzed, all three teams had identical records (one win and one loss each), rendering the points tie-breaker ineffective.

​Consequently, the tie-breaker moved to goal difference within the mini-league, but all three teams were still level at 0.

​The next criterion — goals scored in the mini-league — finally settled the deadlock:

• ​Malawi: 4 goals scored
• ​Nigeria: 3 goals scored
• ​Zambia: 2 goals scored

​This narrow margin eliminated the Copper Queens despite their superior overall goal difference, sending them packing.

​In the quarterfinals, the Super Falcons will face Cameroon, while Malawi’s Scorchers will square off against either Ghana or Mali.